lacansmirror, 9/27

After discussing Habermas I began to think he was a little pessimistic or he at least had strong opinions about modernity.  He saw postmodern ideas as being part of "the cult of the new" (99).  He also said that those labeling themselves as being avant-garde "can read his own death warrant" (101).  Basically, that statement sums up his perspective on the present.  He adds, "although the avant-garde is still considered to be expanding, it is supposedly no longer creative" (101).  His approach to the avant-garde is very negative by simply brushing it off as being unimportant.  Habermas also labels postmodernity "as Antimodernity" (98).  Instead of just saying it is not modern, the word anti generates more negative feelings about the idea.  In class I brought up the idea that the traditional could also be antimodernity according to Habermas.  Most would argue that the traditional was a completed project and that is why we transitioned into the modern, so would the modern then be completed if we are transitioning into the postmodern? 
I realize there is some overlap between these time periods where there could be modernity being completed and postmodernity being started.  However, once the culture embraces the latest trend, the old trend will end.  There will always be people like Habermas who might not want the trend to end, but once the culture adapts to something else it is already gone.  Since Habermas is a romantic modernist, he is obviously very attached to the period.  When the culture moves on before he is finished completing the project, it is frustrating to let it go.  However, traditional was necessary for modernism. Also modernism was needed for postmodernism.  There is no way to change something...without the something.  Therefore, if modernity is an incomplete project, postmodernity may be completing it.